Fastener attaching machine



Jan. 21, 1936. y l.: ,NqHAY'DEN 2,028,704

PASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE e shveets-shet 5 Filed Aug. 9, 1934 Jan. 21, 1936. N. HAYDEN Filed Aug. 9, 1934 e. sheets-sheet 4 ed I Jan. 21, '1936.- N. i-IAYD'N. 2,028,704 I FASTENR ATTACHING MACHINE ,Filed Aug. 9', 1934 @Sheets-sheet 5 p e# den yIZ-fg Inl/vena Jan.21,1936. N HAYDEN 2,028,704

` rj'AsTENER ATTAGHING MACHINE y Filed Aug. 9, 1934 e sheetswsneefe Inveno:

Le e'NHa den, y L/ Patented Jan. 2l, 1936 UNETED STATES 2,028,704 u FASTENER A'rrAcnING MACHINE Lester N. Hayden, Arlington, Mass., assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 9, 1934, Serial No. 739,068

17 Claims.

My invention aims to provide improvements in selecting means for attaching machines whereby either of two parts may be selected to be moved to the setting mechanism.

In the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view-of a machine embodying my invention, unessential details being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthat portion of the machine showing the two hoppers, tracks and clutch and stop operating lever and associated parts;

Fig. 3 is a part section and part elevation taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the clutch and stop operating mechanism with the clutch-operating yoke and hoppers omitted;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a section taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. S is a section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5. Y

My invention relates to improvements in attaching machines for securing parts of snap fastener and similar members to a suitable carrying medium, the machine in general being substantially the same as illustrated and described in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,944,510, issued January 23, 1934. As a matter of fact, the attaching machine selected for illustration 85 of my invention is the same in construction and operation as fully illustrated and described in my above-mentioned patent, with the exception of the fact that the hopper l (Figs. 1 and 2) has been turned around and a third hopper 2 has been installed alongside of the hopper l (Fig. 2') and other hereinafter described mechanisms have been addd whereby the operator may permit the partsif'in either the hopper l or the hopper 2 to be fed to the setting mechanism indicated at A and B in Fig. 1. The hopper C is the same as the corresponding hopper and performs the same function as that illustrated and described in my above-mentioned patent. 1t should be understood that my improved select- 5o ing means may be associated with any suitable attaching machine and that I am not limited to its use with the particular machine illustrated and described in my above-mentioned patent. It is believed that anyone skilled in the art will 55 :fully understand my invention by reference to my United States Letters Patent No. 1,944,510

and the following description of my invention without the necessity of describing in detail those parts of the machine which do not enter into the present invention. 5

My invention fills a need for an attaching machine which can be used by an operator to attach, for instance, different colored caps of snap fastener members to overshoes where overshoes of different colors are conveyed to the 1o operator. For instance, both black and brown colored overshoes may be conveyed to an operator and the same attaching machine can be used to secure the snap fastener members thereto because the operator may select the proper color l5 cap according to the color of the overshoe. To accomplish the desired result Ik have provided a cap hopper 2 in addition to the usual cap hopper l and have provided a track 3 which leads from the hopper 2 to the raceway 4 (Fig. 5) so that 20 it may deliver caps to the raceway 4 at a point alongside the point where the usual track 5 leading from-the hopper l delivers caps to the raceway 4. Since caps are used from only one hopper at a time it is necessary to provide some 25 means for preventing the delivery of caps fro-rn the track ofy the hopper not in use. I have accomplished this by mounting a pair of controlled stop-pins ii and 'l opposite the ends of the tracks .E and 5 on that side of the'raceway 4 30 adjacent to the tracks, as illustrated in Figs. 5, '7 and 8. The apertures in which the pins are mounted (Fig. 8) are of less diameter for a short distance near their upper ends than they are for the rest of their length. Thus there is a collar ..35 provided within the top oi each aperture. Each pin has a collar, 6a and 1a, which just lits the wide part of the aperture. Assembled around the pins 6 and 7, and compressed between the two collars associated with each pin, are actuat- 40 ing springs 8 and 9, which normally tend to hold y the pins 5 and 1 in the tracks 3 and 5 in such a position that the passage of caps to the raceway 4 is impossible. Obviously to free the caps in the tracks it is necessary to remove the pins 45 t yand l.

Since the object of the invention'is to deliver caps of one color at one time, I have devised a simple and effective means for raising one pin while the other remains in its track to block the passage of the parts not wanted at that time. This means consists of a foot iii (Fig. 5) with an S-shaped end portion provided with slots Il and l2 opening in opposite directions and l adapted to receive the Shanks of the pins 6 and .D5

6 and 'I are conical it will be apparent that when f the foot I0 is moved in one direction horizontally, the pin 6 will be lifted against the pressure of the spring B by the cam action of surfaces I3-I3 upon the conical head I6 of the pin.V When the foot I9 is moved in the opposite direction the pin 1 will be lifted against the pressure of the spring 9 while the p'm 6 at the same time is released from engagement by the cam surfaces I3-I3 and is returned to track-blocking position by spring 8, as shown in Fig. 8.

In the raceway 4, opposite the entrances of the tracks 3 and 5, I have mounted cap-positioning jaws I'I and I8. Each of these jaws is pivoted at one end for horizontal motion and is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 5 by flat springs I9 and 29. The edges of these jaws facing the tracks 3 and 5 are notched to conform approximately to the shape of the caps used in the machine, so that when a cap is delivered from the end of one of the tracks it will be held in correct position until the push-rod moves it along to the jaws which hold it in` the assembling die. As the push-rod passes by the ngers I'I and I8, it pushes them out of the way to free the cap, and when the push-rod returns empty the jaws return to their original position, ready to locate another cap. Of course when one jaw is in actual use the other will merely swing back and forth with the passage of the push-rod, and will not be called upon to locate any caps.

The foot I0 is carried by a lever 2l, pivotally connected to the frame 22` of the machine by the bolt 23, and arranged to cause the slotted base of the foot I0 to move in a substantially horizontal plane (Figs. 2 and 5). Since the edges of the slots I I and I2 have cam surfaces and the heads I5 and I6 of the pins are conical, the engagement between them is not very secure. I have overcome this diil'iculty by providing means to retain the lever 2I in each pin-raising position. I have mounted in the lever 2Iv a ball 24 which, in one position of the lever is urged by the spring 25 into a detent 26 in the part 22; in the other pin-raising position the ball 24 is urged into the detent 2'I, all of which is clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Each of the hoppers has a rotating part 28 for the purpose of agitating the parts to be assembled, thereby assuring delivery of the parts from the hopper to the tracks 3 and 5. In the case of hoppers I and 2 it is desirableto sto-p rotation of that hopper whose delivery track is blocked by one of the pins 6 and 1, because rotation without delivery would pile up the parts in the track and cause jamming of the machine. In order to accomplish the desired result I have provided a pulley 29 (Figs. 2 and 3) connected by a main drive belt 36 (Fig. 1) directly to the rotating part of the hopper 2. This pulley 29 is in the form of a ring (Fig. 3) freely rotatably mounted upon a part 39a. This latter mentioned part 30a, together with a second pulley 3| located alongside the pulley 29, is made fast to a shaft 32 by means of the set screw 33, as shown in Fig. 3. The pulley 3l is driven by a belt 35 directly from the main drive shaft (not shown) 'of the machine. This pulley mechanism just described is preferably associated with the hopper I. In addition to the pulleys I have provided a clutch mechanism associated with the hopper I. This clutch mechanism includes a ring 36 secured to the rotating member 28 oi the hopper I by one or more set screws (Fig. 3) and has teeth 3'I on that side facing the pulley 29. The clutch member 38 is fastened by keys 39 to the part 36a (Figs. 3 and 4) and is slidable axially thereof to permit teeth 40 carried thereby to engage with the teeth 3'I on the ring 36. The clutch 38 also has teeth 4I on the opposite side from the teeth 49 for engagement with teeth 42 on that side of the pulley 29 facing the clutch member 38.

While the clutch member 38 may be shifted into engagement with the part 36 or with the pulley 29 by any suitable mechanism, I prefer to have it operated by the same lever which operates the chute-blocking pins heretofore described. Therefore, I have mounted a yoke 43 upon the lever 2I and this yoke carries pins 44 (Figs. 3 and 4) which enter a groove 45 in the clutch 38 whereby movement of the lever 2| causes sliding movement of the clutch 38 relative to the part 30a.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed now to a description thereof and include in that description reference to as much of the attaching machine that is old as will be necessary for one skilled in the art to understand my invention. Assume, for the sake of description, that the attaching machine is used to attach snap fastener sockets to overshoes and that the cap members of the sockets are fed from the hoppers I and 2, while the socket members are fed from the hopper C. Also assume that the cap members in the hopper I are black for attachment to black overshoes and the cap members in the hopper 2 are brown for attachment to brown overshoes. If the operator desires to attach a socket to a black overshoe and use a black cap, it is necessary to block the chute 3 so that brown caps cannot enter the raceway 4. The operator, therefore, moves the lever 2l in a direction toward the right of the machine thereby moving the foot I9 so that the pin `I will enter the slot I2, as shown in Fig. 5. During this movement the cam surfaces I4 engage the headj of the'pin I thereby moving the pin I out of track-blocking position so that the brown cap may pass from the chute 3 to the raceway 4. During this pin-lifting operation the pin 6 is released from engagement by the cam surfaces I3 and the spring 8 moves it into chute-blocking position (Fig. 8) thereby preventing black caps from entering the raceway 4 shown in Fig. 5. When the lever II was moved to the right to free the chute 3 from the blocking pin 'I the clutch 38 was moved into engage` ment with the pulley 29 by interengagement of the teeth 4I and 42, as shown in Fig. 1. This would cause rotation of the rotary part of the hopper 2 since the driving pulley 3I would be connected with the pulley 29 which in turn is connected by the belt 35 with a pulley 34 for operation of the rotatingrr part of the hopper 2. The drive would take place from the pulley 3l through the set screw 33 to the part 3l)n and then through the keys 39 to the clutch 38. Since the clutch 38 is connected to the pulley 29 through the teeth 4I and 42 the pulley 29 will drive the belt 35. Since the chute 5 is blocked by the pin 6 it is not desirable to maintain rotation of the rotary part 28 of the hopper I and therefore the teeth 49 on the clutch 38 are disengaged from the teeth 31 on the ring 36. While the parts are related to each other as described brown caps may be applied because they will enter the raceway 4 from the chute 3 and engage the positioning jaw I'I (Fig. 5) from where they are moved to the setting mechanism A by the push-rod 43 in the same manner as is more fully described in my above mentioned patent. Since the black caps are prevented from entering the raceway 4 the pushrod 4B in its forward movement will engage a brown cap and move it forward past the cappositioning jaw I'I and the cap-positioning jaw I8 each of which is free to move out of the path of the button against the pressure of the springs i9 and 2B. Thus the operator. may attach brown caps as long as brown overshoes are received.

Assuming now that the operator receives a black overshoe and therefore desires to attach a black cap, it is merely necessary to move the lever Il to the left until the detent ball 24 is released from the recess 26 and enters the recess 27 to hold the lever I1 in that position. During this movement of the lever IT the foot I is moved in such a manner that the blocking pin S enters the slot Ii and the cam surfaces I3 engage the head I5 of the pin 6 and lift it against pressure of the spring 8. At the same time the cam surfaces I4 move out of engagement with the head I6 of the pin l so that the spring 9 will move the pin I into blocking position. Thus the track 3 is blocked against release of brown caps to the raceway i and the track 5 is free to release black caps against the positioning jaw I8 in the raceway 4. During the lever-moving operation the clutch 38 was moved toward the ring 36 thereby disengaging the teeth 4I and 42 so that there would be no further operation of the rotary part of the hopper 2. As the clutch 38 moves toward the ring 36 the teeth 4U become engaged with the teeth 31 thereby connecting the rotary part 28 of the hopper I through the clutch and part Z50a to the driving pulley 3l. Since the brown caps now cannot enter the raceway 4 the push-rod 46 may pass by the end of the chute 3 and engage a black cap opposite the end of the chute 5 and move it to the cap-holding means adjacent to the setting mechanism A.

My invention is simple, easy to operate and is particularly desirable because it saves handling of various colored articles and also combines in one machine work which heretofore was necessarily carried out by the use of two machines. It should be understood that I am aware of the fact that the same results may be secured by different arrangements of the parts and that the specic arrangement illustrated by the drawings is for the purpose of informing those skilled in the art of one way in which I have secured the desired results.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby, because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claimll. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply diierent parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a stop means associated with each track at a predetermined point between the hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts at those points, springs normally pressing said stop means toward track-obstructing positions and stop-controlling means operable to lift either stop means against the action of its associated spring to permit free passage of parts from one of said tracks.

2. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different partsto the setting mechanism, a 'track leading from each hopper, a stop means associated with each track at a predetermined point between the hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts at those points, springs normally pressing said stop means toward track-obstructing positions and stop-controlling means operable to lift either stop means against the action of its associated spring to permit free passage of parts from one of said tracks and holding means for maintaining the stop-controlling means in either position.

3. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a spring-pressed pin associated with each track at a predetermined point between the hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts in the tracks at those points and pin-controlling means operable to move either pin against the pressure of its associated spring whereby parts may be permitted to pass from either track to the setting mechanism as desired.

4. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a headed pin associated with each track at a predetermined point between the hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts in the tracks at those points and pin-controlling means having cam surfaces operable against the heads of the pins to control at least one position of each pin with respect to its associated' track.

5. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a headed pin associated with each track to control the movement of parts in the tracks, a spring operably moving each pin in at least one direction and a pivotally mounted control lever having cam surfaces cooperating with the heads of the pins whereby one pin is moved out of track-blocking positions in one position of the lever and the other pin is moved out of track-blocking position in the other position of said control lever.

6. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper', a stop means associated with each track at a predetermined point between the hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts at those points, stop-controlling means operable to control the positions of said stop means whereby parts may be permitted to pass from either track to the setting mechanism as desired, each hopper having a rotating part, means operable to drive either rotating part and a clutch mechanism operable to connect the driving means to either rotating part whereby the hopper which is to deliver parts to the stop blocked chute will become inactive and the rotating part of the hopper which is to deliver parts to the stop released chute will become active.

7. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a stop means associated with each track at a predetermined point between the hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts at those points, stop-controlling means operable to control the positions of said stop means whereby parts may be permitted to pass from either track to the setting mechanism as desired, each hopper having a rotating part, means operable to drive either rotating part and a clutch mechanism operable to connect the driving means to either rotating part whereby the hopper which is to deliver parts to the stop blocked chute will become inactive and the rotating part of the hopper which is to deliver parts to the stop released chute will become active and clutchoperating means associated for operation with the stop-operating means whereby the operation of the stop means and the rotating parts of the hoppers are controlled simultaneously.

8. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a stop member associated with each track at a predetermined point between a hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts at those points, each hopper having a rotating part, means operable to drive either rotating part, a clutch mechanism operable to connect the driving means to either rotating part and a combination clutchoperating and stop-operating device operable to simultaneously operate the clutch mechanism and the stop members whereby when the clutch mechanism isengaged with one of the rotating parts of one of the hoppers the stop member associated with the track leading from that hopper will be moved out of blocking position.

9. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a stop member associated with each track at a predetermined point between a hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts at those points, each hopper having a rotating part, means operable to drive either rotating part, a clutch mechanism operable to connect the driving means to either rotating part and a combination clutchoperating and stop-operating device operable to simultaneously operate the clutch mechanism and the stop members, said clutch-operating and stop-operating device having two operable positions whereby the clutch mechanism may be engaged with either rotating hopper part and at the same time the stop member associated with the track leading from the hopper with which the clutch member is in engagement may be moved out of track-blocking position and means operable to hold the clutch-operating and stopoperating device in either position.

10. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a stop member associated with each track at a predetermined point between a hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts at those points, each hopper having a rotating part, means operable to drive either rotating part, a clutch mechanism operable to connect the driving means to either rotating part, a pivotally mounted lever, a clutch-engaging yoke carried by said lever to move the clutch mechanism and a stop-engaging foot also carried by the pivotally mounted lever and constructed and arranged to operate each of the stop members.

11. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a stop member associated with each track at a predetermined point between a hopper and the setting mechanism to control the movement of parts at those points, each hopper having a rotating part, means operable to drive either rotating part, a clutch mechanism operable to connect the driving means to either rotating part, a pivotally mounted lever, a clutch-engaging yoke carried by said lever to move the clutch mechanism and a stop-engaging foot also carried by the pivotally mounted lever and constructed and arranged to operate each of the stop members and a spring-pressed ball and detent structure operable to hold said lever in either of two positions.

12. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply diierent parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper for the purpose o'f delivering parts to a raceway associated with said setting mechanism, a pin having a substantially conical head mounted above the end of each track adjacent to said raceway to control the movement of parts in the tracks, a spring associated with each pin for the purpose of holding said pins in track-blocking positions, a pivotally mounted control lever having an S-shaped portion providing slots opening in opposite directions, said slots being adapted to receive the Shanks of said pins, said S-shaped portion having cam surfaces adjacent to said slots to cooperate with the conical heads of said pins whereby one pin is raised out of track-'blocking position when the lever is moved into one position and the other pin is moved out of trackblocking position in the other position of the lever.

13. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper for the purpose of delivering parts to a raceway associated with said setting mechanism, a supporting member partly overlying the ends of said tracks and having a vertically extending aperture abo-ve each track, a. pin movably assembled within each aperture and adapted to extend into the tracks at one side of each track adjacent to said raceway for the purpose of stopping the movement of parts in said tracks without mutilating said parts, each of said pins having a collar adjacent the track-blocking end of the pin adapted to engage one end of a coil spring and having a substantially conical head at the other end, each of said apertures being of different diameters for parts of their lengths to provide an internal collar within the end adjacent the head of the pin adapted to engage one end of a coil spring, a coil spring assembled around the shank of each of said springs and each spring bearing against its respective! collars thereby forcing one end of each pin into a track-blocking position, and a pivotally mounted control lever having cam surfaces for the purpose of raising either of said pins while the other is left in track-blocking position.

14. The combination with a, suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply dierent parts to the setting mechanism, a track leading from each hopper, a headed pin associated with each track to control movement of parts in the tracks, a pivotally mounted cranked control lever provided with slots opening in opposite directions, a portion of said lever being located between said pins, and said slots being so formed and located that when the lever is moved in one direction one slot will engage one pin and when the lever is moved in the other direction the second slot will engage the second pin, and cam surfaces at the sides of each slot whereby the pin entering the slot will be lifted out of track-blocking position.

15. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, each hopper having a rotating part, means operable to drive either rotating part, one of said rotating parts being mounted on a shaft and rotatable independently of said shaft, a grooved pulley permanently attached to said shaft and connected to said driving means to cause rotation of said shaft, a circular supporting member permanently attached to said shaft between said pulley and said rotating part of the hopper and partly surrounding said rotating part, a ring rotatably mounted on said supporting memberadjacent said grooved pulley and having teeth on the side away from said pulley, said ring being connected to the second of the rotating parts of said hoppers to cause rotation thereof, a clutch ring mounted o-n said supporting member and being secured thereto by key members whereby it rotates with the supporting member but is axially movable on said support, said clutch ring having teeth on one side adapted to engage said teeth on the rst mentioned grooved ring whereby when the shaft is rotated by the driving means and said clutch ring is engaged with said grooved ring by--means of the teeth thereon the second hopper willbe rotated independently of the hopper mounted on said shaft, and means whereby the hopper on the; shaft may be rotated independently of the second hopper.

16. The combination with a suitable setting lmechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, each hopper having a rotating part, means operable to drive either rotating part, a grooved pulley mounted on a shaft and connected to said driving means, the rotating part of one of the hoppers being rotatably mounted on said shaft independent of said pulley, a supporting member permanently attached to said shaft between the pulley and the hopper and partly enclosing the rotating part of the hopper, a ring secured to the edge of the rotating part away from said grooved pulley and having teeth on the side towards the pulley, a ring mounted on said supporting member and keyed thereto against independent rotation, said ring having teeth on the side towards the rst mentioned toothed ring on the rotating part of the hopper and being axially movable into and out of engagement with said ring whereby the rotating part of the hopper may be caused to rotate independently of the second hopper, and means connecting the second hopper to said driving means whereby it may be rotated while the first hopper is stopped.

17. The combination with a suitable setting mechanism of two hoppers operable to supply different parts to the setting mechanism, each hopper having a rotating part, means operable to drive either rotating part, the rotating part of one of said hoppers being rotatably mounted on a shaft, a pulley mounted on and secured to said shaft, said pulley being connected to said driving means, a supporting member secured to said shaft between said rotating part of the hopper and said pulley, a grooved ring rotatably mounted on said support adjacent to said pulley and connected to the second of said hoppers by a belt, said ring having teeth on the side thereof away from said pulley, a clutch member in the form of a ring mounted on said supporting member and secured thereon by keys allowing axial movement only of the ring on said support, said clutch ring having teeth on each side thereof adapted to engage teeth on the first mentioned ring, a toothed ring secured to the rotating part of the hopper mounted on said shaft, and adapted to be engaged by said clutch ring, and means operable to shift said clutch ring into engagement with either of said toothed rings whereby either hopper may be made to rotate.

LESTER. N. HAYDEN. 

